Diluted seawater helps boost tomato plants' antioxidants levels

Washington, Apr 29 : Want healthier salads, appetizers, and other tomato-based foods? Well, all you have to do is water the plant with diluted seawater.

According to researchers at Universita di Pisa, Italy, though seawater does not stimulate the growth of tomatoes, it does boost the levels of vitamin C, vitamin E, dihydrolipoic acid, and chlorogenic acid.

All of these substances are antioxidants that appear to fight heart disease, cancer, aging, and other conditions.

The finding was based on a study wherein Riccardo Izzo and colleagues grew cherry tomatoes in both freshwater and in a dilute solution of 12 percent seawater.

They found that diluted seawater not only makes for healthier tomatoes, but that it can also be a promising alternative to freshwater irrigation.

The study is scheduled for the May 14 issue of ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a bi-weekly publication.